The risk of being infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is substantially enhanced in individuals with other sexually transmitted diseases. For example, infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) increases the risk ratio of acquiring HIV from 2 to 4. Explanations for this increased risk include direct inoculation of HIV-1 into the blood through genital ulcers, and the induction of inflammatory cells by HSV-2 which act as sites of replication for HIV-1. The results of infections carried out in cell culture suggest a biological mechanism for the enhancement of HIV-1 infection by HSV-2.